The Legend of Zelda:Child of Darkness
by Lock of Hyrule
Summary: Fate can often give even the most pure of souls a cruel hand. Will the daughter of the King of Evil overcome her inner darkness, or will she fall prey to its tightening grip?
1. Prologue

The Legend of Zelda: Child of Darkness

Prologue

As the evening sun sank behind the western cliffs, a young mother held her newborn child in her arms. It was a girl. She had always wanted a little baby girl to compliment her firstborn, her three year old son. Even though it was her wish...she wasn't happy. This girl that she had wanted since her son's first year didn't bring joy into her heart. No. In fact, looking at the child...her red patch of hair to her brown skin...everything about her made the mother doubt her reasoning for going through with the birth.

"Dats my sister?" She heard a young voice calling softly at her side, snapping her out of her thoughts. Her son, fair haired and a pale complexion, was a thing of beauty in her eyes. So pure an innocent, and reminded her of her late husband.

"Yes, she's you're baby sister..." She told the boy, though she wished it weren't true.

"She's lillul!" The boy shouted in excitement. He smiled at the new addition to the family and gently touched her hand. "Mommy, she's soft! I lub her!" His mother was surprised to hear those words come from someone so young to someone he barely even knows.

"Yes, well, why don't you go and play with your toys, Link, while I set her down?" She said to her son. Link stared for a moment longer, ignoring the suggestion.

"Watser name?" He asked. His mother looked down at her new child.

"I don't know yet. Do you know what we should call her?" She looked at her son, thinking that if he took part in this, perhaps it could be as if her husband were still there with her, making it all right.

"Mmmmm...* He rook a moment to think. "Her name is Lock! Cause it starts like mine!" Link said, once again excited at the thought of his new baby sister. His mother smiled.

"Then Lock it is."

"Why she's dark, mommy?" This question immediately brought a frown to his mother's face.

"Sometimes people just look...different, Link. Sometimes...they're very different." She answered quite plainly. She brushed her hand through the baby's hair. Aside from the red patch in the front, her hair was black as night, just like her mother's. And her eyes, they were green, also like her mother.

Then why did she feel so detached?

"Because she's 'his'..." She said, thinking out loud.

"Huh? Who's, mommy?" Link asked. The woman shook her head.

"Nothing. Now go play."

Legend of Zelda (c) Nintendo

Child of Darkness and OCs (c) Lock of Hyrule


	2. Ch1: Of Lies and Lineage

The Legend of Zelda: Child of Darkness

Chapter 1: Of Lies and Lineage

"Link! Link, where are you?" I swear to the gods, when I get my hands on you, you'll WISH you were dead!" Running through a patch of forest, Lock searched for her older brother. "If I find so much as a SCRATCH on that necklace I won't let you live it down!" She found him high in a tree, studying a bird's nest.

"You know, the thing about you is that you're way too much fun to torture." He answered, letting a thin chain with a green and gold pendant dangle form his neck. "Besides, I think it looks SO much better on me." He grabbed hold of the trunk of the tree and made his way back down to the ground. "But you can have it back...I guess." Lock waited with her hand out for Link to come within arm's length of her before whapping him upside the head and snatching the necklace back.

"I'll trade you some maturity and we'll call it even. You really should act your age. It's embarrassing for the OLDER sibling to act like they're still eight."

"Well it's embarrassing to have my younger sister run around like she's my mother." Link replied while rubbing the back of his head. "Must you bruise me all the time?"

"It's the only way you'll learn." Lock fastened the chain back around her neck after examining it for marks or scratches.

"C'mon, I'm just teasing! You know I love you, right?" Link said, placing an arm around his sister's shoulders. "You can't disown me now, can you?"

"We'll see. You jerk. But you DID make us late now, you know that, right?" Lock stopped to look at Link as his face went from zero to "HOLLY DIN!" in a second flat. He took off like a rocket back toward the village, leaving Lock in his dust. "...LINK!" Lock took off after him, very slowly catching up.

The two of them slowed to a stop when they ran out of breath a quarter of the way into the village.

"I...completely...forgot...about training...today..." Link managed to wheeze out between breaths. Lock raised a brow and glared at him for a moment.

"We've only...had the SAME...training schedule...for at least...two years now." She replied, equally as breathless as her brother. Link laughed.

"That's why you're the planner...and I get to have fun." he replied. "But let's argue...about how you're so very...mature and I'm a dork...AFTER we get to Ezlo's house, deal?"

"Fine." Lock stood up after catching her breath and walked ahead of Link toward Ezlo's house. "I'll just have to take it out on you in combat then." Link stopped in his tracks.

"Whoah, now, what'd I do? I don't feel like taking a boot to the head again!" He said, catching up to her at they walked along. The two of them walked along for another few minutes before they saw Ezlo's house up ahead. He had a rather small home, but with plenty of land to roam and then some. They could hear the sounds of wood and metal clashing in the back. Ezlo had started without them. "Hey, I'll go talk him down, you catch up.

"Wai-" Link took off once again behind the house. "...for the love of Nayru..."

Link circled around the house, spotting Ezlo right away while Lock's insults caught up from behind. He made his way down hill and stood a good distance away from his mentor, seeing as he looked rather focused at the moment.

"Hey, sorry we're late!" Link called out, breaking the cycle of rapid slashed that a poor defenseless log was enduring at the time. Ezlo didn't turn around, but rather, he waited for Link to approach him.

Ezlo himself wasn't what one would consider a young man, but neither was he old. It was rumored that Ezlo had once been one of the fabled Knights of Hyrule. Now forty-three, he was as tan and fit as a man half his age. Out here in the country, however, he was the only man with any real background in combat. Link and Lock enjoyed watching him when they were younger, pretending to be brave knights and fighting bad guys. Ezlo later offered them a chance to learn, and they snatched it up.

"I waited for nearly an hour you know." Ezlo spoke as Link drew closer. "Where is your sister?"

"She's just catching up. We got held up is all, sorry." Link said. Ezlo knew that 'held up' meant 'forgot' in Link's mind.

"I trust the two of you are prepared for an extra two hours today then." Ezlo lifted his practice blade and turned to face Link, who sighed in return.

"Then we'd better hurry up and get started..." Lock chimed in, stomping by in a huff to pick up a practice blade for herself, then proceeded to beat on the log as well. Link looked to Ezlo, who was equally confused.

"Did something...happen in the three minutes I left you behind?" Link asked. Lock ignored him and continued to pummel the log. Link sighed and walked over to her. "Come on, you can tell me." Lock stopped and glared at him.

"...It was Mido. He was passing by out front when I accidentally bumped him." Lock looked irritated. "He stared at me for a minute, checked all of his pockets before calling me a filthy Gerudo thief and walking off." She threw the sword on the ground and threw her hands in the air. "I DIDN'T EVEN TAKE ANYTHING! I NEVER have!" Frustrated and annoyed, she kicked the sword.

"You shouldn't trouble yourself with Mido's words. That boy's never been one to respect others." Ezlo said in a stern tone.

"That wouldn't bother me if it was JUST him! It's just..." Lock sighed "Last week I overheard Loani speaking of 'that desert girl' and how the traveling merchant should keep an eye out. And when those people were just passing by three months ago, you remember them, they avoided eye contact with me when they were being OH SO FRIENDLY with everyone else! And what about the time Zachary made that comment about my dark skin? It's EVERYWHERE I GO!" Lock ranted, kicking the sword harder this time, causing it to slam against the side of the practice log and fall over on the ground. "Why do I have to be the black sheep?" Ezlo placed a hand on her shoulder and sighed. He looked at her like a father would his child.

"You shouldn't worry about such things. So you look different. It's not as if you HAVE to listen to all those people. They don't see the strong and kind young woman that I see. They don't see the caring sister that Link sees. A wise person once told me 'Those that mind don't matter, and those that matter don't mind.' Forget their words, because they don't matter." He smiled at her, gaining a small smirk in return.

"You always ruin a bad mood, you know that?" Lock said with a slight grin. Ezlo chuckled a bit and nodded, allowing her to return to her training. Link took up a practice sword and walked over to Lock.

"Hey." He waited to get her attention. When she turned around, he raised his blade to her. "Loser does dishes." He said with a grin.

...

After a long day of practice and rigorous training, the two gathered their things and headed up the road to their house.

"Admit it, you let me win." Lock huffed, tromping up the cobblestone path.

"I swear I didn't! Why would I EVER hand a fight to you?"

"The fact that even babies know how to block a kick with their arm and not their torso leads me to think otherwise." Lock stated. Link raised his hands in defeat.

"Fine, if you say so. I let you win the fight. Happy?" Link raised a brow.

"Well I guess it DOES mean I get to pass on dish duty." Lock said with a laugh. Both of their grins quickly faded away, however, when they heard a voice call out to them.

"Link! Lock! Where have you two been? You're late!" It was Moria, better known to the siblings as "Mom". "The two of you were supposed to be here HOURS ago! Where where you?" Both Lock and Link cringed at the same time. Moria was still rather young for a mother of two young adults, but unlike Ezlo, her physical appearance was quite a bit older that her actual age, as was her commanding motherly presence and overall intimidation. Her face already had a few wrinkles, and her hair was streaked with gray. She always looked baggy-eyed and tired, and she always worried. She had just recently gotten home from working a long shift at the local food market and had expected her children to be home.

"Mom, it's my fault. I made us late for training and we had to be held for two hours...I'm sorry." Link apologized to his mother, but Moria wouldn't hear any of it.

"As much as I respect Ezlo as a friend and elder, I see no need for all of that swordplay mess. You had wood to chop, and Lock still has dishes to clean! Both of you get in here now!" Moria sighed. "It's too dark out for chopping wood, but you're going to chop every single log first thing in the morning."

"Yes ma'am. I'll get the dishes done right now then." Link said.

"That's your sister's job. Just come inside."

"Well, see, I made a bet with Lock that whoever lost a match would do the di-"

"I will NOT have backtalk! Get inside now!" Moria said sternly, but she quickly calmed herself down. "Look, I've had a rough day, now please just let your sister do her chores and you do yours." She rubber her temples and ushered her children inside the house. Link looked to the ground.

"Yes ma'am." He said as he passed his mom by, sending a quick glance toward Lock, who wasn't in a good mood any more. As Lock passed by, she muttered a little too loudly for her own good.

"I swear, I don't see how we're related sometimes..." This got Moria's attention.

"I've put up with enough of your complaints, Lock!" She walked up to Lock to confront her. "I feed you, I clothe you, I allow you and your brother to continue living in my house when the both of you are old enough to live on your own by now!" she grabbed Lock by the arm. "You should be GREATFUL for that, ESPECIALLY you!" She said. Lock snatched her arm back.

"Why? Because I'm the freak child? Because I'm some sort of abomination to you and you're ASHAMED of me? Is that it?" Lock screamed, throwing Moria off guard. Lock backed away from her mother and turned around, bolting out of the front door and back down the road. Link hesitated for a moment before taking off after her.

"Link! Where are you going?" Moria called out.

"Don't worry, I'll get her back!" Link called back as he ran off into the night.

...

Link searched the town for about half an hour before he found Lock. She had wandered out into a field to be by herself, but it was very late and they needed to head back. They decided to backtrack to Ezlo's house instead of walking the whole distance to their own. Lock was still upset, and stayed silent for much of the night. Ezlo tried to cheer her up with hot tea as Link explained what happened.

"I see. So you ran away, eh? Didn't get very far, did you." Ezlo said, hoping to get a laugh. maybe even a glance. But Lock just stared into her teacup. "Do not be angry with your mother, Lock." He added.

"That's easy for you to say. You didn't see her. She looked so...hateful."

"She's gone through a lot of strife and sorrow too, you know. And she worries about the both of you all the time. Even when she was young she-"

"What's so wrong with me anyway? That I'm always treated like this? Why can't people just leave me alone?" Lock said. She leaned close to her cup and let the steam hit her face. Ezlo sighed and scooted closer to her.

"It's not that there is anything wrong with you. Had you been born under different circumstances..." Ezlo messed with his hair a bit, trying to think of a way to divert the subject. Lock, however, glanced over at him.

"What do you mean by different circumstances?" She asked. Both she and Link looked at Ezlo, though he hadn't noticed the stares yet. Once he looked up, he realized he had said to much.

"I am sorry, I shoud not have said that." He said, tring to avod their gazes.

"Ezlo, please..." Lock started, but Ezlo interrupted.

"That is something that is left up to your mother. I am trully sorry, but I cannot go behind her back. Please trust me, Lock. All I can say is that do not worry about what others say and do. Humans make mistakes, you cannot fault them for that."

"Humans can make choices, too, and can keep themselves from being shallow and hurtful." Lock said, looking into her reflection in her now luke-warm tea. Link sat next to Lock, opposite of Ezlo.

"Don't worry about all that. I got your back, no matter who says what. I'll always be here for you." He said, which gained him a small smile in return.

"You two are the only people I know I can trust. Thanks." Lock smiled. She continued to look into her own reflection. "We have to head back home in the morning. It's too dark to see the roads now. We'll just have to apologize to mom later." Link nodded in agreement.

"Well then you two ready yourselves for the night and I'll go get some extra bed rolls." Ezlo said as he got up and headed off to the storage room. They all redied themselves for bed, not knowing what would await them the next morning.

Legend of Zelda (c) Nintendo

Child of Darkness and OCs (c) Lock of Hyrule


	3. Ch2: Army of the Desert King

Legend of Zelda: Child of Darkness

Chapter2: Army of the Desert King

Over the eastern horizon, far beyond the mountain range and the forests that follow, a dark mass loomed at the peak of a dormant volcano. Its form shot up from the rocks like the very walls of the mountain itself. Unlike the surrounding walls, however, this was not created by the earth of the planet. No, this place was filled with dark magics. This place, Ganon's tower, was the hiding place of the King of the Desert Theives, Ganondorf Dragmire.

"Great Lord." A beast approached the doors of a large chamber inside the tower. With a scaled hand, it pushed open one of the massive doors sealing off the room. "Great Lord Ganondorf, we believe we may have found him!" It said with a slight tinge of excitement in its voice. On the beast's shoulder sat a bird, black as night and about the length of a man's forearm. The bird squawked loudly and bobbed up and down, as if to nod in agreement.

"Tell me, lizafo, did I give you permission to enter my private quarters?" A deep and booming voice answered. The lizafo swallowed hard and slowly shook its head.

"I-I am truly sorry, m-my Lord. I thought that...that you might w-want to know what we found." It managed to stammer out. Rising like a title wave to the shore, the massive man stood from his seat. He turned to face the lizafo with yellow eyes piercing the darknes around him.

"Then speak. What have you found?" The man answered.

"This crow returned from a village near the Ordona province in Hyrule. The wizzrobes scried throught its thoughts and saw two children playing near the forest. One was dark skinned, like your people, but with features of a Hylian. The other was a blond child with bright blue eyes. He wore green, just like your specifications. He and the dark girl are siblings." The lizafo reported. Ganondorf walked over into the dim light, showing his dark-skinned face and bright red hair. The crow glided over to him and landed on his shoulder.

"I see...you have done well my pets." He replied. The lizafo sighed in relief. "Ready a platoon. I want that boy brought to me alive, even if you have to destroy the village in the process."

"What of the dark girl, my lord?" The lizafo asked, wincing a little at the cold glare he recieved in return.

"I will have someone deal with her. Just get me the boy. Now leave, unless you want to try my patience." Ganondorf waved his servant off as the crow flew back to the cowering lizafo, but before the scaled beast could return the way he came, the sound of armored boots rang through the halls beyond the door.

"My Lord." A darknut, clad in heavy armor from head to toe, approached Ganondorf, kneeling to one knee. "There is a situation. Someone has broken into the castle and entered the main hall. Our men are dropping like flies." It said. Ganondorf furrowed his brow.

"What? Who is it?" He asked.

"I do not know, my Lord, but we are doing all we can to-" Ganondorf ignored the darknut and hurried out of the room, making his way down to the entrance hall. He stood on the second floor when he reached the hall and watched what was happening from there. Down below, moblins, darknuts, lizafos, and stalfos were gathered around, attacking something wave after wave. Whatever it was, however, didn't lift a finger, yet anything that came withing five feet of it was destroyed instantly. Ganondorf scowled.

"Enough of this!" He yelled. His men stopped attacking, looking up at their Lord as his voice boomed over the noise below. In the center of the first floor, a man stood, paler than the full moon with jet black hair almost as long as he was tall. He wore a pointed black hat that wavered like smoke in the wind. The man grinned from ear to ear, his bright red eyes piercing through the dark aura that surrounded him.

"It's been a while, old man. What kind of a greeting is this for an old friend, eh?" He said, waving his hand across the surrounding enemies.

"I heard you were still alive. Naturally, I didn't believe it." Ganondorf replied. The man grinned wider as he began to walk forward.

"Funny, I never believed you had returned from the dark realm, yet here we both are." He said. "Wonderful castle, by the way. I believe mine will be better...once I...acquire it."

"What are you doing here, shadow?" Ganondorf asked, wanting to get to the point. The man tilted his head a little as his grin faded.

"I think you are mistaken, dear old friend. My name isn't 'shadow', not anymore." The man was still walking forward when a wall of darknuts blocked his path. With a simple hand movement, he sliced them all in half, turning them into particles of black dust. As the particles filled the air, they began to converge on the man and disappear into his very being. "I am called Dark." He licked some of the remaining shadow particles from his hand.

"I could care less what you call yourself. Why are you here?" Ganondorf's yellow glare scowled down at Dark, who in turn seemed to be quite pleased with the given reaction.

"I'm here to make a proposition." He replied cooly. Ganondorf's men slowly stepped backward as he moved forward. "See, it's come to my attention that, though you managed to escape imprisonment once again, you don't seem to have your full power yet. Puts you in a pretty bad situation, doesn't it?" He approached the bottom of the stairs leading to the second floor and looked up at Ganondorf, meeting him glare for glare.

"That's none of your concern." Ganondorf replied. Dark was amused by his answer and laughed.

"Oh, but it IS very interesting! Here's the thing. I know that between the two of us, you have the best track record for conquering...well, just about any kingdom that suits your fancy. You have the armies, the power, even the goddess Din is on your side."

"I'm assuming there is a point to this." Ganondorf was getting impatient. Dark frowned. In the blink of an eye, he faded into the surrounding shadows and re-appeared from the shadow of a pillar on the second floor.

"Alright, so let's cut to the chase. You want to find that brat that always beats you into the dust, I always know where he is. You want spies in Hyrule, I have people that can't be seen. You want to see Hyrule fall, I want to see those happy little pathetic human cockroaches be squashed." Dark walked to only a few feet away from Ganondorf, standing a little over half the Gerudo's size. Ganondorf raised a brow.

"You seem to have grown a disliking for the Hylians in these past few centuries." He said.

"Oh, don't get me wrong, I dispise all of you damned light dwellers. So high and mighty, supposedly BETTER than me and my kin. But I'm no fool. If I want to play this game, I'll have to side with the lesser of two evils, so to speak."

"You think far too highly of yourself if you assume you have any role in this at all." Ganondorf said, still not letting Dark out of his sight. "Did you forget who brought you into this world, you pathetic worm. And you dare to come to me and ask for my help?" Dark clentched his teeth.

"Who said I was asking..." He materialized a sword out of the shadows and struck out against the Gerudo king. The attack was in vain, however. Ganondorf was prepared, parrying with his own sword that was hidden beneath his robes and knocking Dark back. Dark stood there for a moment before dispelling his shadow sword. "That's alright..." He said with a flick of his tongue. "I only came to offer you a chance at joining MY kingdom to come. But this will do just fine." he added. With a low sweeping bow, he disappeared into the shadows once more, leaving Ganondorf and his group of slightly confused beasts behind. Ganondorf clentched his fist and glared at the spot where he last saw Dark standing.

"See too it that he is no longer in the tower...and bring me that boy!"

Legend of Zelda (c) Nintendo

Child of Darkness and OCs (c) Lock of Hyrule


	4. Ch3: The Invasion

Legend of Zelda: Child of Darkness

Chapter 3: The Invasion

It had been almost two weeks since the night at Ezlo's house, and things were back to normal. There were chores to be done, training to endure, going to the market, and the occasional feeding of the stray cats. The only real difference was that, more than ever, Lock had a nagging feeling that people were watching her, talking about her, weather they really were or not. Even around her mother, who was just as much of a mess as always, she felt more tense. She told this to Link as they headed back from the market.

"You should give it a rest. Nothing is going on. I mean look, everything's still the same as always." Link replied.

"I know I know, but it's just so...weird. I don't know why it is, it just is."

"I really don't get you semetimes. I'm sure that having some of mom's cooking tonight will make you feel better, though." Link nudged Lock with his elbow.

"Well she DOES make some good soup." She replies with a smile. IT soon faded when the two of them heard a commotion coming from down the road behind them. Mido was running through the village in a panic, stopping everyone he came across. All the people he passed seemed to completely change in demeanor.

"What's going on?" Link asked. Lock shook her head, not knowing anything, and ran up to Mido and the others in hopes of catching some of the conversation.

"They're coming here NOW!" She could hear. "T-there are TONS of them! Black armor, a-and pig faces! They're at the rear gates!" At that point, more villagers came running up from the southern end of the village. They were all afraid, running frantically to anywhere safe. Sounds of metal clashing and loud grunts in the distance erupted over the panicked crowed. Link looked to Lock before they both turned tail to warn the others.

As the passed by homes and knocked on doors, Link was the first to reach Ezlo's house while Lock was across teh street evacuating the place. Ezlo was already standing outside witha worried look on his face.

"Ezlo! There are moblins attacking the village! I need a sword!" Link said. Ezlo nodded and rushed inside. He took two swords down from a shelf and handed them to Link.

"Find you sister and give her one of these. The two of you need to get every able bodied person you can find who's willing to fight, and send the rest going north. When you have everyone, tell her to take the fleeing villagers to safety, to protect them, and you will regroup with the rest of us." He said. He knew Link was young, but a brave fighter, and one of the best in the village. Link nodded and was about to leave, but turned back around.

"What about you?" He asked.

"I'm going on ahead to fight. I'm sure a few others have already chosen to fight, and I can't leave them." Ezlo replied. He nodded to Link and took up another sword. Link nodded in return and went to look for Lock.

Link caught up with her a few houses down. She had already gotten most of the villagers out to safety and sent a few of them to warn the others ahead.

"Lock, you follow them and evacuate the rest of the town, I'm gonna grab anyone who can fight to hold off the moblins." He said, handing her a sword. Lock took the blade, but shook her head.

"Most of them are already safe, I'll be more useful to the village if I fight, too."

"But they might need someone to-"

"I'm not leaving." Lock said, looking sternly at Link. Without a word, Link understood, and headed back south with Lock following close behind. As they continued forward, they could hear the sounds of the battle rising.

"...My gods..." As they came to a halt, the two looked across at an army of armored moblins and bokoblins razing the village to the ground. The brave villagers who stayed behind were using everything at their disposal to fight off the invasion. Link looked to Lock. "How many would you say?"

"Around two hundred and fifty, maybe more." Lock replied, eyeing the field below. She knew there wasn't much time, but it was better to know the numbers rather than run in blindly.

"You should stay here and pick off anyone who gets passed the front line. I'll find Ezlo and help him there." Link took off before Lock could protest. Not wanting to be left out of the fight, however, she joined the battle head on.

The grunts and yells of the advancing army surrounded the villagers in an angry roar. Heading the counterattack, Ezlo stood at the forefront of the battle, taking down several foes with each swing of his blade. To his left a moblin's body flopped to the ground. Ezlo looked back to find that Link had finally joined the fight.

"And your sister?" Ezlo asked. He spun around to impale an advancing bokoblin.

"She refused to follow the refugees, she's taking down stragglers." Link freed his sword from the plates of a moblin's armor and hefted on of their shields onto his right arm, blocking an oncoming blade.

"Do you really believe she'll stay back there?" Ezlo met back-to-back with Link, both dodging more attacks.

"Not at all." Link slammed his shield into the next foe to attack and plunged his sword into its chest. "Just thought I'd mention it." The two continued to fend off their attackers and protecting the other villagers.

Lock had already gone through some of the nearby buildings, killing enemy forces inside. Fortunately, there hadn't been any civilians left inside, or at least that's what she thought. After clearing out a hallway of bokoblins, their blood still warm on her blade and clothes, she heard the cry of a child.

"Oh gods..." She raced down the hallway, where a moblin stood over a pile of crates, smashing them one by one. The child's voice was coming from beneath them. Without hesitation, Lock rushed behind the beast and jammed her blade in between the plates of it's armor and through it's heart. She gave it a twist to be sure that the thing was dead. She flinched a bit when the warm blood hit her face, but she had no time to be squeamish. She shifted her weight before the moblin could fall to move it out of the way, and proceeded to push some crates out of the way as fast as she could. Under the boxes, tucked into a hole in the wall and floor was a small girl, visibly shaking in fear and crying loudly with tears streaming down her face.

"Don't worry, he's gone now! C'mon, let's get you out of here!" Lock reached for the girl who was wiping the tears fro, her eyes to see. The moment she saw the bloodied blade and dark bloodied face above her, however, the girl shreiked and ran out of the building. Lock was shocked for a moment, but then took off after the girl. "It's too dangerous to go alone!" She yelled, but then she rounded the corner, the girl was nowhere in sight. Lock searched frantically for the girl. It seemed that while she was trying to save the girl, the enemy set fire to the village. Lock began to panic when she couldn't find or even hear the girl.

"She's not here." A voice spoke from behind Lock that made her jump. She spun around and pointed her blade out toward a man clad in armor from head to toe.

"What are you?" Lock yelled, standing firm against him. She hesitated to strike only because the man didn't wear the armor of a darknut, so she wasn't sure if he was friend or foe.

"I know who I am, but do you know who you are?" The man replied. Lock saw that he wasn't attacking, but she didn't let down her guard.

"That's a stupid question. What are you doing in my village?"

"Your village?" The man stood lit a statue amidst the flames that began to spread around them. "This village hates you, yet you claim it is your home? You have never been a part of this place." The scenery around them seemed to disappear, the flames, the buildings, the sounds, all sank away into a black-purple haze.

"Wha-What are you doing?" Lock tried to back away, but her legs wouldn't move. She twisted her torso around, but still her legs were stuck. "Let me go!" She kept struggling to move, but to no avail.

"It's no use, you'll just hurt yourself." the man began to walk forward as his armor melted away into the haze. He was a tall man, with deep purple hair. The strangest thing about him, however, were his white eyes. Lock thought she may have seen some markings on his face, but they were well hidden behind his hair and hood. "If you hadn't noticed, I am no soldier. I am a shaman, a dark mage if you will, part of Lord Ganondorf's army." Lock's eyes went wide.

"G-Ganon...whare are you attacking us?" She asked again. The man held up a hand to silence her.

"That is none of your concern. I'm only here to see you, my dear. To free you from this prison you call a home."

"Shut up, you don't know me!" Lock wanted to attack the man, but then her arms went limp and her sword dropped and stuck into the ground.

"So angry. I supposed you get that from your father." The man moved closed, studying Lock up close. "I know more about you that you know about yourself. You see, unbeknownst to my Lord, I have been watching you for quite some time." He circled back around in front of Lock. "You are the girl they call Lock...or more appropriately, that Gerudo girl, the dark-skinned one, or any number of things. The people here are afraid of you, they despise you. Haven't you ever wondered why? If something goes wrong, you are the first to be blamed."

"Where are you going with this?"

"No matter what you did to try and defend yourself, people still looked down upon you."

"Stop it! What's your point! Let me go!"

"And while everyone else, including your brother, was always recognized for their good deeds, you are only remembered for your screw ups."

"You're lying! They wouldn't do that...would they?"

"And whenever you needed someone to lend an ear, there was never anyone to comfort you."

"I said STOP IT!"

"FACE IT!" The man grabbed Lock by her face and made her stare right at his. "No one here likes you. If you were to die out here on this battlefield today, no one would mourn your death. Even your own mother wishes you were never born!" He threw her head back and stepped backward, watching her closely. "You're alone here. Everyone had turned against you from the start. You could end it, you know. You could end them all. I know you have felt the urge to do something...drastic. You have a darkness in you, I can sense it. Why don't you let it loose? Why don't you just kill them all? Or are you the pathetic little worm that these people see you as, hmmm? You're nothing but DIRT to them!" He said with a chuckle. Lock's eyes started tearing up as she let her head hang, her breath growing louder and louder.

"LIES!" Her head snapped up as she lunged forward, grabbing her sword and slashing through the man as he turned into a cloud of black dust. Instantly the scene around her returned to its previous state. The fire had completely engulfed the area around her, burning through the roof above...until it collapsed right on top of her.

Link and Ezlo, along with a handful of men still able to fight, rushed forward on the enemy forces, taking down at least one beast with every swing of the sword. The village was collapsing all around them, and though they fought valiantly, they were greatly outnumbered, surrounded by blazing fires, and the remaining men were tiring.

"Link, try to find a path! We need to retread to the north! We can't win this here!" Ezlo called out. Link bashed a moblin's face in with the butt of his hilt.

"Are you CRAZY?" He looked around. "Even if any of us wanted to leave, we're surrounded! And I'd never leave you behind!" Link had a point. Ezlo looked around and saw nothing but pig faces on all sides.

"Well then we'd better make the best of what we have left. Make every strike count!" Just as he finished speaking. five moblins in a row were bowled over in front of them by what seemed to be a flying boar. Both Link and Ezlo turned their heads simultaneously in the direction it came from. At the other end of the path, Lock came rushing down, following the tossed boar and planted a knee into the nearest enemy's face, plunging her sword into its forehead at the same time. She dislodged the blade and leapt off of the moblin's face, aiming for the next two below.

"Way to go Lock! She's kicking serious a**!" Link exclaimed, but Ezlo looked on in worry.

"Something's not right." He said. Link sliced open another moblin before turning to Ezlo with a bewildered look on his face. The enemy army began to focus its attention on Lock, who was tearing limbs off with one hand while prying them from their sockets with her sword. "She's never had this kind of strength..." Ezlo attempted to get Lock's attention by calling above the noise. "LOCK!" His voice was drowned out by the grunts and squeals around. A bokoblin nearby drew back an arrow on his bow and aimed for Lock. As if by instinct, Lock sensed it coming and leapt for the bokoblin. Ezlo reeled back as Lock pounced on the creaure and proceeded to hack at it like a wild animal on a carcass. He saw them, her eyes.

They were gold.

Lock continued to rip her way through the enemy forces like a wolfo on a baby goat. Link met back with Ezlo, who seemed to be in shock.

"Ezlo, what's wrong?" He asked.

"We have to stop her." Ezlo replied.

"When she's SLAUGHTERING the enemy?"

"She's out of control! She's only attacking the next thing that poses a threat to her!" Ezlo said. Lock ripped apart a few more moblins, and then a few more. Their numbers were falling drastically. Seeing what was happening, the last of the army turned tail to flee. Some of the villagers gave chase, not wanting to let them live for killing their families and friends. Lock, however, only saw a group of beings running away, and she chased after them, letting out an inhuman yell as she raged onward.

"Link, we have to stop her! She'll attack our men!" Ezlo said. Before anyone could take action, however, Lock raced up and knocked down the first moving object she could get her hands on, digging her fingers into its neck and her sword into its chest.

"DADDY!" The little girl that Lock rescued was still on the battlefield. She ran toward her fallen father while Lock still had her blade embedded in his chest. The girl's shriek caught Lock's attention. She turned and went after the girl, who fell over on the ground and tried to retreat in fear. With her sword in hand, Lock swung down at the child, but then there was a loud clang.

Link had made it just in time to stop Lock's blade inches away from the girls head. He threw Lock back to allow the girl some time, though it took all the strength he had.

"Run away!" Link yelled to the girl. She scurried to her feet and took off toward the northern end of the village as fast as her feet could take her. Link raised his shield on his right arm, his sword in his left hand. "Lock, snap out of it! What are you doing?" Lock recovered from her fall and charged at Link. Link blocked with his shield, but he couldn't push her back. "Wake up!" He cried. Her eyes were gold and filled with bloodlust. Link's shield began to crack under the force of Lock's attack. Not wanting to become worm food by his sister's hand. Link attempted to knock her back by hitting her with the hilt of his sword. When he swung at her, Lock dropped her sword and caught his hand in midair. A dark aura began to emit from Lock, and the force continued to press against the shield. Now Link was trapped. His shield war breaking, and his knees would buckle under the force of Lock's strength at any minute.

"Lock! WAKE UP!" Suddenly, Lock backed off, shaking her right hand as it smoldered a little. Link noticed there was a light, but he couldn't tell where it was coming from. Lock and the beasts that still remained began to back away. He noticed the light was coming from himself, more specifically from a mark on his hand. He was only able to look for a split second before a blinding light engulfed everything around him.

There was a long silence, or at least it seemed that way. The sounds of the fires were gone, even the grunts of the moblins, and there was nothing but a bright white. When it began to fade, people could see that the fires had been put out, and that most of the remaining enemies had been turned to dust by the light. Those that survived were being picked off by the remaining villagers as the beasts tried to make their escape. Lock stood still and silent, looking tired and weak. Link waited for a moment, wondering what would happen next.

"...Lock?" he slowly approached her. Lock lifter her head toward him, and Link saw her eyes. They were their normal green again.

"Link..." she began to sway. Link threw down his sword and shield to run and catch her before she hit the ground. She was out cold. Some of the remaining men went to look for survivors among the bodies as Ezlo walked over to the siblings.

"Ezlo...what just happened?" Link looked up to him, clearly worried.

"For once...I don't know..."

Legend of Zelda (c) Nintendo

Child of Darkness and OCs (c) Lock of Hyrule


	5. Ch4: Outcast

Legend of Zelda: Child of Darkness

Chapter 4: Outcast

"Hey...hey! She's coming to! Hey..." A blurry mass of light and dark figures slowly focused into solid shapes as Lock opened her eyes once more. Link rushed to her side at the first sign of her stirring. "Hey, it's me, Link. You're finally awake..." Lock looked around for a moment until the room came into view.

"L...Link?" She looks up at his face. "Ugh, I feel like...I was hit by a wild boar. What's going on?" She paused for a moment before jolting up. "What's happened to the village!" She yelled before feeling a sharp pain surge up from a few broken ribs and multiple gashes and bruises over her body. Link wasn't in great shape either, though she was happy that he was still alive.

"We can worry about the village after we fix you up. Elzo's getting you a couple of potions, just stay still, okay?" Link said in a soft tone. The look of worry didn't leave his face, however. Lock looked around the room a bit, parts of it looking slghtly burned and broken, but overall sturdy as ever.

"Is this...Torani's house?" She asked. Link nodded with a worried smile.

"It was close by and still standing." He replied just as Ezlo walked back in. He looked a bit nervous and quite tired. "Hey, you're back."

"Yes. Oh, here." He handed Link a potion. "I could only find one, but it should do for the most severe injuries. You might still have a few small cuts and bruises for a while though." He said. He looked out of the window at the villages digging ditches and piling bodies up in them. "The wounded are being tended to, most of the village escaped and have moved to the northern end of the village." He turned to Link and Lock. "How are you two faring?" Lock downed the potion and laid back a bit.

"Feeling better already. Sorry I wasn't more of a help." She said. Link glanced at Ezlo only for a moment. "How did you get me out of the building? The last thing I remember was the roof collapsing."

"You...don't remember anything after that?" Link asked. Lock tilted her head a bit in confusion.

"No, of course not. I blacked out. I thought I was dead for sure." Lock replied. She looked at the two men who were shooting glances at eachother.

"Was there anything that you can remember? Anything strange that might have happened?" Ezlo prodded, sitting next to Lock near the makeshift bed of cushions.

"Well..."Lock pondered for a moment. "There was a strange dream. Probably from being knocked out by the smoke maybe? There was a mysterious man in strange robes. He had white glowing eyes, and was feeding me something about a darkness, or a sleeping darkness, I can't remember. I got mad, and he said something about my father... I couldn't even move and he disappeared right before the roof caved." She told them all she could remember. Ezlo sighed heavily and layes his head in his hands for a moment. Lock furrowed her brow. "Ezlo, what's wrong?" Link looked over with a serious look on his face.

"There's something you're not telling us, isn't there?" He aked. Ezlo sighed again.

"I...am not sure if I should...but your mother has waited long enough to tell you...let me start this way. Lock, you often rummage through my library, yes? Remember when you were young and you asked about the ancient legends?" Lock nodded silently. Ezlo continued. "The tale of the king of the western desert, the evil king that was brought down by a boy from the forest...that is the tale of the Hero of time, passed down from generation to generation for hundreds of years."

"I take it this has something to do with what happened earlier?" Link interrupted, gaining glares from both Lock and Ezlo. He sat back in his seat. "I mean...continue."

"Several times since, it was said that the desert king had been resurrected or returned somehow, but always faced the same fate as before. There was always a hero to strike him down. But recently..." Ezlo paused. "...I tell you this because...these tales, they are more than simple legend. This is our history, and every bit is the truth. About twenty years ago, word got out that the evil king had returned. The moment it did, however, he disappeared, supposedly gone into hiding. It was assumed that if he was free once again, then he hid only because his powers hadn't fully returned to him, but just the mere thought of him returning threw the country into a panic. The king sent search parties to look for him, to at least confirm that the rumors were false. Link, your father was among the knights sent on the search." Link's eyes went wide.

"MY father?"

"Yes, he and I were companions in the Royal Army. Your father was the best of all of us, a war hero, if you will. He...came a little too close to finding the evil king, and in doing so, became the biggest thorn in his side. As leverage, he kidnapped your mother. Your father fought with all his might to free her but..." Ezlo sighed. "You father lost his life before he could ever find her." Link stared in shock.

"Where was Link? Where were you?" Lock asked. Ezlo raised a hand for her to wait.

"Link's father had left him in my care. I had no idea how to care for him, I never had a child of my own, but I vowed on my life that I would protect him. When I got word that he had been killed in battle, I did everything in my power to find your mother, though I didn't know whether she was alive or not. I left Link with a woman in the castle town and traveled into the desert with a rescue party of the guards' best men. By the time we were able to find the evil lord again, more than half of my men had been lost and three years gone, but we did find him. Without his full power and his thieves no longer in his service, we were able to defeat him as a group...though whether he survived or not is still uncertain. What was certain was that he kept captured women as his concubines, and your mother was among them." Ezlo looked to Lock. "When I found her, she cried to me, telling me of the things she had been made to live through. Soon after, she discovered that she was pregnant." Lock gasped a bit, holding her breath for a moment, and Link looked over to his sister.

"Y-you mean...you mean that I..." Lock stuttered.

"You are that child, Lock." Ezlo said solemnly. "Your mother was depressed. She had lost her husband, though she didn't know it until she was set free. She became...suicidal. I kept her from taking her own life and relocated her and Link to this out-of-the-way village of Toaru to help her forget the past and start a new life." Ezlo looked concerned for Lock, who was feeling an awkward mixture of emotions. Confusion, disbelief, fear, anger, sorrow...whatever it was, she was clearly unhappy. "She raised you instead of...well instead of-"

"...killing me?" Lock asked. Ezlo fell silent. "Instead of killing me, right?" Lock paused, seemingly lost in thought. "He...he was right...she always hated me..."

"She never hated you!" Link interjected. "She never hated you...If anything, she was just always afraid. Not of you, but...think about it. What if he came back? What if he came back to take you away from her?" Link watched as Lock's faced changed to a look of worry as she slumped back into her seat.

"You're right, Link. Moria, she always feared for you. She always worried. Neither of you were ever allowed to leave the village without either me or her by your side, and even then we never took you further than the edge of the Ordona province and the Faron woods." Ezlo explained.

"...But...why are you telling me this now?" Lock asked, still in shock. Ezlo turned to face her.

"This darkness that the stranger spoke of, his mentioning of your father...it can't be coincidence. This...will be a bit hard to hear, but you must know the truth." Link looked to Ezlo, his face saying 'what are you doing?', but Ezlo continued. "You have to know. We did not save you from that building. We were surrounded by the time you showed up...you...were not you. You were something else entirely. Do you not recall any of it at all?" Ezlo asked worriedly. Lock looked to him, confused and somewhat scared.

"I...I vaguely remember fighting, but it was like a waking dream..." She answered.

"It was no dream, child. You entered the fray wild as a beast. It was our brother that saved you from..." Lock stared in shock. Her dream was more than what she let on to the others. She recalled reveling in the death of everything and even almost taking joy in seeing the blood, but she didn't want to believe it was real. Link took his sister's hand.

"Lock, don't worry, that wasn't you! Whatever happened, it was that white-eyed man. It was him, not you!" He reassured her, looking to Ezlo for comfirmation. Ezlo could neither agree or disagree, however. He feared the worst but didn't want to take away their hope.

"I will...return soon. I need to meet with the survivors, see who is still accounted for. Link, care for your sister, he wounds should be mostly healed soon enough. I'll return as quick as I can." Ezlo stood up and left the building, heading toward the north end of the village to where the survivors have gathered. Link took off after him a few moments later.

"Ezlo, wait." He caught up. "What's going to happen now? Half the fighters saw what happened out there...what are they gonna do to Lock?"

"I honestly don't know. Just stay with your sister, please. I'll be back as soon as I can." Ezlo laid a hand on Link's soulder. "She needs you." He turned to walk away. Link stood there for a moment, hearing the grunts of other men aorund him hefting bodies and smelling the stench of burning flesh as some began to set the piles on fire. He turned back to return to Lock's side until Ezlo's return.

To the northern end, the surviving villagers gathered in the mayor's home. He had called a meeting to try and deal with the crisis at hand collectively, and the place with a buzz with chattering voices and muffled sobs. Ezlo entered the building as a few of the villagers and elders were arguing with the mayor himself.

"...is no other explination! Why would they suddenly come to our village other than they were looking for something, or someONE. We all know who that someone is and something needs to be done about it." One man protested.

"Oh stop beating around the bush! That Gerudo girl has been trouble from the start! I say we send her away to be chased elsewhere, where there are guards and weapons and where we can live in peace without fear of being attacked again!" A woman shouted from the audience.

"Now you're being far too harsh. I've never had an issue with her myself until now. If it had been you under a crazy hex then everyone would be clamoring to save your hide!" Another younger man stated. Ezlo pushed his way through to the Mayor's side, noticing Moria was already in attendance and looking quite uncomfortable.

"Come now people, please calm down. There is no need to get so up in arms."

"No need?" A woman cried out. She was carryin the little girl from the battle field. "That girl mudred my husband in front of our daughters eyes! And you say there is no need? I say we show her the same fate and put her to the fire!" The woman cried. The girl was silent, hiding her face in her mothers blouse and trembling. Ezlo stepped out into the center.

"Good people, please! Do you think your loved ones would enjoy seeing you like this? We can be civilized, now calm down. Look, this is all a very unfotunate event, but we can't blame one person for the crimes of another, and one cannot account for collateral casualties caused by war." He attempted to calm the crowd.

"That girl was completely mad, I saw her with my own eyes!" One man shouted, being accompanied by another two or three voices chiming in.

"It's more than likely she's the reason they came in the first place!"

"Why are you protecting her, you saw what happened!" The crowd began to riot.

"PEOPLE! I know some of us were there when the evil king reared his ugly head, but the sins of one man should not be forced to pass down to the one who just happens to have been thrown into this life this way. She didn't ask to be born under such conditions, and any one of you would look for the same sympathy if you had been in her place!" Ezle shouted. The room became quiet. "Now then, we have no idea what happened, and from what I gather, Ganon sent a magic weilder to aid his army. For all we know, any one of you could have been hexed into madness or gods forbid, far worse things could have happened! It is a tragedy, yes, I'm so very sorry for all of your losses, but turning on eachother is not going to solve anything! We need to stick together and think of a plan to prepare should something like this happen again."

"And the first thing would be to get rid of the girl to be sure they don't come looking for her!" The village bgan to chime in again as Ezlo called to calm them down. The mayor raied a hand and called out.

"Quiet! This is a delicate matter and we must be rational!" He yelled, quieting the crowd once more. "Now as mayor, I say that this isn't something for you al to decide alone." he turned to Moria. "You are her mother, you have as much or even more say than any other individual, and I've known you to be a fair woman. Under the circumstances, what would you be willing to do?" He said. Moria froze for a moment, looking across the room of angry, scared, and concerned faces. She turned to Ezlo, who was looking back with a pleading expression. She turned away solemnly and faced the people.

"I...believe...that we should..." She sighed. "I believe that for the time being, Lock will have to leave the village until we have rebuilt and things settle down." She said. Ezlo's heart fell into the pit of his stomach. Half og the villages mumbled and nodded in agreement, a few even cheered. Moria wasn't sre what to feel it seemed. A mixture of disappointment and relief crossed her mind. She looked up to Ezlo who only returned a look of disgust as he turned and left the building. Moria felt her heart sink, but told herself it was best for the village right now. Ezlo left the crowd of arguing villagers and traced his way back to Torani's house.

As Ezlo made his way back, Link was headed back from his own house, having been out to get some fresh clothing for both Lock and himself. He caught up to Ezlo on the way.

"So...?" He asked. Ezlo furrowed his brow and stopped walking.

"So...the village has decided that it's too dangerous to keep your sister around for now." He said rather abruptly. Link cluthed the cloth in his hand. "They aren't thinking straight. I do agree with one thing, those moblins came looking for something, but my gut is telling me it wasn't her. She's just an unfortunate scapegoat."

"Then let's go back, I'll talk to them myself!" Link said, but Ezlo shook his head.

"No, there's no use. Besides, you need to attend to her. I'll figure this out." He said. Link slowly nodded and took off for the house. Ezlo watched him diappear through the front door. "I have the lingering feeling that they were after you, Link."

Legend of Zelda (c) Nintendo

Child of Darkness and OCs (c) Lock of Hyrule


End file.
